By Sgt. Darren Kakuno

This past week, November 26 through December 2, Columbia Valley RCMP responded to 52 calls for service. The following are some of the more notable files our officers responded to.

Tip jar thief caught, returns money

On November 27, a local business reported someone stole between $10 to $20 from their tip jar and the business had identified a suspect. Officers spoke to the suspect who admitted to taking the money from the tip jar. The suspect agreed to return the money and as a result, the business did not pursue charges.

Tires slashed overnight

On November 28, a resident on 13th Street reported someone had slashed two of the tires on his pickup truck sometime overnight. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Columbia Valley RCMP.

Garage B&E and attempted house B&E

On November 29, a resident on Windermere Loop Road in Windermere reported someone had entered his garage and rummaged through his belongings. The intruder tried unsuccessfully to gain entry to the house and damaged a doorframe in the process. The owner is still trying to determine if anything was taken.

Vehicle slides through intersection into light post

On December 1 at 9:30 a.m., the driver of a Chevy Cruze lost control of his car when he tried to stop at the intersection of 5th Street and 10th Avenue in Invermere. The vehicle slid into a light post. The driver was uninjured but the light post sustained damage.

Breach of probation

On December 1 at about 6 p.m., officers discovered an adult male was breaching his probation by attending an address he was restricted from being at. The male was arrested without incident and is being held for court.

Double solid yellow line rules explained

Recently I was asked what the rules are in relation to crossing a double solid line on a highway, specifically, whether it is illegal to cross a double solid line in order to pull into a driveway or parking lot.

Subsection 155(1)(a) of the Motor Vehicle Act states, if a highway is marked with a solid double line, the driver of a vehicle must drive to the right of the line only. There is, however, one exception to this rule. Section 156 of the MVA states, if the driver of a vehicle is causing the vehicle to enter or leave a highway and the driver has ascertained that he or she might do so with safety and does so without unreasonably affecting the travel of another vehicle, the provisions of sections 151 and 155 are suspended with respect to the driver while the vehicle is entering or leaving the highway. So it is not illegal to cross a double solid line to pull into a driveway or parking lot but the onus is on the driver to ensure it is safe to do so.

– Sgt. Darren Kakuno is commander of the Columbia Valley RCMP Detachment

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